April 16 - Dr. Dounald Thomas is an American professor teaching international marketing and management in the GDUFS School of English for International Business and at the International College. Having pursued knowledge for 18 years as a university student, he is an embodiment of the saying "learning never ends." Apart from teaching Dr. Thomas has also been a successful businessman in Spain and is experienced in marketing and advertising. He also has helped numerous GDUFS graduates find jobs and apply to overseas programs at universities such as New York University, Waseda, and Oxford.
Dr. Dounald Thomas
At age 16 Dr. Thomas began his travels around the world and has now visited more than 70 countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific Islands. He is especially fond of Spain, Ecuador, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and, China.
Mrs. Virginia Thomas with her horse in Spain
In 1988 Dounald met his future Spanish wife and decided to study Spanish because she could not speak English at that time. He moved to Spain and immersed himself in Spanish language, which is, according to him, the best way to learn a foreign language. He adopted the same approach to language acquisition when he worked in Japan. He says that when you have only yourself to rely upon, for example when you are listening to railway station announcements, you will quickly acquire the foreign language through the struggles of daily life.
When asked what obstacles he thinks Chinese learners of English face, he replied that one major obstacle is the missed opportunities to speak with foreigners. Although increasing numbers of foreigners are coming to China, opportunities for a Chinese person to have regular contact with them are still rare. Dr. Thomas encourages Chinese English students to actively seek out opportunities to interact with native English speakers, and to use English as if it is the only language available.
Dr. Thomas said that he has long been fascinated with China. When he was young, he was deeply intrigued by the photos of China he saw in National Geographic magazine. He told us that what impressed him most after coming to China was the friendliness and harmony of the people here.
The Thomas family on Beijing Lu
Dr. Thomas now lives on the GDUFS north campus with his family - his wife Virginia, his 15-year-old daughter, and his 12-year-old son. Dounald says he is satisfied with his life at GDUFS. Away from the noisy city center and located at the foot of Baiyun Mountain, GDUFS offers the benefits of fresh air and eye-pleasing scenery. The family is very active, enjoying mountain climbing, badminton, and bicycling.
The Thomas family in Guilin
Dounald loves reading historical novels and still travels as often as possible. His love for Spain has never waned. He refers to Spain as a marvelous place in which he expects to retire someday with his family. Virginia prepares traditional Spanish dishes using local Chinese ingredients and cooking utensils. Dounald and his family speak Spanish at home and his two children study via the internet with their tutors in Spain. They also study Chinese, French and mathematics with Chinese student tutors at home.
Our talk with Dr. Thomas revealed his love for his family, his dedication to his work, and his appreciation of his current adopted home, all of which offers us a lot to learn from.
Photos provided by Dounald Thomas
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